Varactors, or variable capacitors, are very useful for radio frequency (RF) applications by creating a device whose capacitance can be varied. Thus, the device may be used for tuning and impedance matching, increasing the efficiency and performance in RF systems. These devices can be made with a variety of materials and have many different topologies, but usually have a change in capacitance due to an applied DC voltage. In making RF varactors, a common topology allowed for relatively easy fabrication, testing, and integration with other RF components, and could be used with a variety of materials. The materials that were used traditionally included a single one component, such as barium titanate, poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), or deoxyribonucleic acid hexacetyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride (DNA-CTMA).
However, prior art varactors are often limited to implementation on rigid substrates. Additionally, prior art varactors may have a somewhat limited range of optical and electrical design ranges.
Therefore, there exists a need for flexible varactor materials that may be configured for use on substrates such as plastic or other resilient planes. Further, there exists a need for varactor materials that may be synthesized to have desired optical and electrical properties.